The Los Angeles Angels (18-29) travel to face off against the Houston Astros (21-26) on Monday, May 20th. This game will be played at Minute Maid Park in Houston and televised on BSW. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 8:10 ET.
Angels vs Astros
The Angels closed out their series vs. the Rangers with a 4-1 win on the road. Los Angeles was the +136 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Angels, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Rangers scored one run in the bottom of the first.
José Soriano put together a good start for the Angels, going 7 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run, and picking up the win. Los Angeles’s offense was carried by Kevin Pillar, who went 1/1 with two RBIs.
Los Angeles is 18-29 overall and trails the Mariners in the AL West by seven games. The Angels will be on the road today vs. the Astros, and they are 2-1 in divisional games this year. At home, the Angels are just 6-16, and they are only a game above .500 at 12-13 on the road.
As the road underdog, the Angels have gone 12-12 this year, and they are 17-25 as the underdog overall. So far, they have struggled in day games, going 4-13. Los Angeles has an overall series record of 3-11-1 and won two straight series at home before losing their most recent series on the road vs. the Red Sox.
Despite their losing record, the Angels have been a solid bet against the run line this season, as they are 25-22. They have been particularly good on the road, going 16-9 against the run line. They have covered the run line in five straight games overall and as the underdog.
The Angels have gone under in their last two games, and they have gone under in three of their last four games. They have gone over in three of their last four games against the Astros, and they have gone over in five of their last six games overall. The Angels have gone over in 12 of their last 20 games overall, and they have gone over in 13 of their last 20 games with a total of 8.5. The Angels have gone over in 26 of their 46 games overall this season.
Reid Detmers Gets The Start For The Angels
Left-hander Reid Detmers gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Astros on the road. He has made nine starts this season and has a record of 3-4 with an ERA of 5.18. Opponents are batting .251 off Detmers this season. The last time he took the mound, Detmers finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has given up at least five earned runs in three of his last four outings. Detmers’ ERA at home is 6.73, compared to 3.65 on the road.
Angels Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Angels are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. Their team batting average of .243 is 10th in the league, and they have the 6th most home runs in the league. As a team, they are 10th in slugging and 11th in OPS. Heading into the game, Taylor Ward and Mike Trout are tied for the team lead with 10 home runs apiece.
Over his last 10 games, Taylor Ward has gone 11/39 with three homers, and Jo Adell has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 7/30 with three homers. Ward is also on a five-game hitting streak. Willie Calhoun has also been hot of late, going 13/39 in his last nine games.
The Astros’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Brewers, closing out their series with a 9-4 win. After allowing one run to the Brewers in the top of the first, the Astros responded with four runs of their own. Houston went on to add another four runs in the 3rd inning.
Spencer Arrighetti got the start for the Astros, going 6 1/3 innings, and picked up the win. He gave up four runs on seven hits and issued two walks. Offensively, the Astros were carried by Kyle Tucker, who went 2/5 with two homers and four RBIs.
The Astros are 21-26 overall and trail the Mariners by four games in the AL West. So far, they have gone 9-5 in divisional games. Houston will be at home today, where they are 13-13, compared to 8-13 on the road. The Astros have won three straight series, and their overall series record is 7-7-1 this year.
Houston has been playing well lately, going 8-2 over their last 10 games. This season, they are 16-20 as the favorite and 5-6 as the underdog. The Astros kick off their series vs. the Angels today.
The Astros have a run line record of 20-27 this season, including 12-14 at home. Their average run margin for the season is -0.1, but it’s been much better at home, where they are 1.0 runs per game better than their opponents. They are 8-13 against the run line on the road, and 14-22 as the favorite.
The Houston Astros have had a combined run average of 9.3 runs per game this season, but the over/under line for their games has been set at 8.5 runs in just 12 of their 44 games (27.3%). Their over/under record in those games is 4-8, and the over/under line for their game against the Los Angeles Angels today is 8.5 runs.
Framber Valdez Gets The Start For The Astros
Framber Valdez is getting the start for the Astros today, and he comes in with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.94. Valdez has made six starts this year and has pitched well, coming away with the win in two straight outings. In his last start, he didn’t give up a run, going seven innings of work. Valdez finished with eight strikeouts in that outing. This year, he has three quality starts and is averaging 7.61 strikeouts per nine innings. Valdez’s WHIP for the season is 1.20.
Astros Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Astros are the top-hitting team in the majors, with a team batting average of .265. They also have the fewest strikeouts in the league and are 4th in home runs. Overall, they are averaging 4.6 runs per game, but that number jumps to 5 runs per game at home. The Astros are also among the league leaders in slugging percentage and OPS.
Kyle Tucker has been a big part of the Astros’ offense this season, as he is leading the MLB in home runs and is 6th in the league with 33 RBIs. Tucker has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/26 with three homers in his last eight games. Alex Bregman has also been swinging a good bat, going 10/30 with three homers in his last eight games.
Angels vs Astros Prediction
Our predicted final score for this one is 5-4 in favor of the Astros, which means that there isn’t a ton of value in picking the money line at -200. Instead, we recommend taking the over at 8.5 runs. The payout for the over is -109, and we have this game going over by a run and a half.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Framber Valdez is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to Reid Detmers with five. Valdez is also predicted to go 5.1 innings, while Detmers is projected to go just 4.2.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 20, 2024 Angels, Astros